The Center of Excellence (CoE), the first of its kind TVET institution in Georgia, will produce world class workforce and entrepreneurs by keeping up with technological demands of a green economy.

The Vocational Education Program I

The German Government through KfW Development Bank has made available a loan of EUR 20 million (Investment Measure) and a grant of EUR 3 million (Accompanying Measure) to the Government of Georgia for investing into the construction and operation of a CoE, as a first of its kind TVET institution in two selected priority sectors of logistics and construction.

Project Duration:

December 2021 – April 2026 (53 months)

Project Execution Agency (PEA):

Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia

Project Implementation Unit (PIU):

Educational and Scientific Infrastructure Development Agency (ESIDA)

Implementation Consultant:

PEM Consult GmbH (Germany)

Sub-contractors

Deutsche Bahn Engineering & Consulting (Germany)

DMARK Architectural Design Company (Georgia)

CoE Mission

The Mission of the CoE is to lead and accelerate the development of excellence in human capital through the joint efforts and shared, public-private responsibilities in the sectors of Construction and Logistics.

The Vision of the CoE is to act as catalyst for change through its leadership in TVET development and excellence, tailored to the dynamic needs and served to Georgia’s national and international Construction and Logistics sectors.

Green Campus

The state-of-art Center of Excellence will be located in the education city in Didi Digomi (Tbilisi) and will be the first educational institution in the country that will provide a multi-functional green campus for its clients to raise environmental awareness and knowledge on green programs and technology, promote green culture and use green campus management principle.

The practical workshops and classrooms will be equipped with leading technology like smart labs, AI and robotics systems that will enable students to get hands-on experience by working with technologies currently used in the industry worldwide.

CoE Programs & Services

The CoE will offer modularized, high-quality programs, capable of enhancing student professionalization, business competitiveness and quality of life of Georgian society.

CoE will introduce multi-skilling courses in the first year, followed by advanced/specialized modular courses which can then be continued through the adoption of a sector-specific cluster approach.

The certificate issued under CoE will be credible and recognized both domestically and internationally.

The CoE is expected to start enrolling its first students in 2025.

Industry Engagement

The engagement of the private sector is embedded in governance and operation of the CoE, including in CoE’s advisory and management functions as well as in implementing and certifying demand oriented TVET programmes. Emphasis is put on various forms of cooperative training programmes with well-structured in-company training phases accompanying the CoE-based high-quality vocational theory.

Internationalization

The programs offered by the CoE will result in internationally recognized certification and will make use of international best practices. The CoE’s international partners will foster cooperation and arrange for exchange programs for students and teachers/trainers. As a flagship institution not only for its Georgian customers, the CoE will market its programs in construction and logistics in the whole Caucasus region where such an advanced training offer does not exist.

News Room

International Tender for the Construction of the First TVET Center of Excellence Announced

The international tender for the construction of a TVET Center of Excellence (CoE) for Construction & Logistics in Tbilisi has been announced, bringing the project closer to its major milestone.

Project Team

Since 1977, PEM Consult has been operating in all major fields related to sustainable social and economic development in countries of transition. PEM Consult’s key competences comprise technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and support to private small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). The guiding vision is to contribute to global sustainable development reflected in economic efficiency, social justice and ecological sustainability. PEM Consult has been working in Georgia since 2014 and maintains a permanent establishment in Tbilisi. For detailed information about PEM Consult, please visit: www.pem-consult.de

The Project Core Team

Marita Münks
David Bakhtadze
Jens Winkler
Lukas Sitsen
Gebhard Hafer

Marita Münks

Project Director

Marita Münks, managing director and partner of PEM Consult, provides overall direction and backstopping to VEP 1 from PEM Consult Headquarters in Düsseldorf/Germany, with focus on the strategy development for the CoE and on capacity building.

Contact: marita.muenks@pem-consult.de

David Bakhtadze

Project Supervisor / Deputy Team Leader

David Bakhtadze, architect and founder at DMARK architectural company in Tbilisi and sub-consultant of PEM Consult, is responsible for the architectural design of the CoE .

Contact: d.bakhtadze@dmark.ge

Jens Winkler

Lead Architect & CAD Specialist

Jens Winkler, architect and project manager of PEM Consult, is responsible for the design of the CoE, including technical drawings, cost estimates, technical specifications and tendering

Contact: jens.winkler@pem-consult.de

Lukas Sitsen

Procurement Expert

Backstopper, Procurement Expert

Lukas Sitsen, authorized officer and project manager of PEM Consult, supports the procurement processes according to KfW Guidelines for procurement and provides overall backstopping to the infrastructure component of VEP 1.

Contact: lukas.sitsen@pem-consult.de

Gebhard Hafer

Training Expert on Logistics Professions

Prof. Gebhard Hafer, DB and PEM Consult associate, is responsible for the design of the TVET programmes in logistics following international standards incl. curriculum development, development of teaching & learning materials, teacher training, workshop design and private sector engagement.

Contact: gebhardhafer@googlemail.com

Contact